On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls returning guest Jacob Tender to discuss the current state of music blogging, the rise of podcasts, and the need for change in the world. This is Jacob’s third time on Inside Music, and every time he’s appeared he has had a new role in the industry. Jacob recently launched a podcast of his own, VBR, and discussing that project leads to a great conversation about the role podcasts are playing in shaping the future of music journalism. James and Jacob also discuss the recent death of a music blog they ran together for years, Under The Gun Review, as well as the reasons why they’re not necessarily sad to see it come to an end. The world is a crazy place, but as long as we communicate and help one another it’s not so bad. Enjoy!
The music you hear in this episode is a song from The Gay Blades titled “Robots Can Fuck Your Shit Up.”
You may already know this, but Inside Music is available on iTunes. Click here to subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Hello, everyone! After several weeks away we are thrilled to present the return of our ‘Inside Music’ podcast series. This show interviews notable people from around the music industry about their lives, careers, and goals for the future. Each episode is hosted by James Shotwell, who also happens to run this blog. If you would like to subscribe to this show, or browse our archives, you can do so on iTunes.
This site exists to promote the future of the entertainment industry, and to do that we need input from people like you and your entertainment-loving friends. If you have any questions about the content in this article, or if you have an artist you would like to see featured on this blog, please contact james@haulix.com. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
For the first time in our ten-show history we are welcoming back a previous guest. Jacob Tender was one of the first people to appear on ‘Inside Music,’ and at the time it seemed like he had life pretty much figured out. He had a new job at a great publication, big dreams for the future, and for the first time in his entire life he could proudly proclaim that he was a paid music writer. Everything seemed to be going great. That is, until things began to change.
This episode is a weird one. The first part explain why we were on hiatus last month, as well as the numerous things we learned during our absence. From there, our conversation turns to Jacob’s turbulent journey through the business and the things he has learned along the way. I’ve known Jacob for years, but I’ve never known him to speak as candidly about life and his struggles as he does on this show. I know this seems a bit odd coming from the guy who hosts the show, but I think this episode is something incredibly special. You can stream and download the show below.
The music you hear in the intro to ‘Inside Music’ is provided by San Diego, California folk punk group Sledding with Tigers. You can learn more about their work on their official website.
We mentioned this at the beginning, but ‘Inside Music’ is now on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.
It’s back! We told you last week that our hiatus from podcasting had come to a close, and as proof we’ve returned exactly seven days later with our third episode ready to be shared across the world wide web. We know a lot of you have asked about getting this show on iTunes, and we promise that is on our immediate to-do list. For now, you can stream and download this show, as well as the rest of the Inside Music series, on Soundcloud.
This week’s episode features Jacob Tender, Digital Editor for Substream Magazine and former editor of Under The Gun Review. He may only be 21, but Jacob has already reached professional heights seasoned vets often long to achieve, including having a personal essay about his favorite band kickstart what eventually became one of the biggest band reunions in recent memory. He’s proud of everything he’s done, but it’s what he has one the horizon that truly captures our imagination.
Over the course of the hour-long conversation found below, Jacob and I talk about his life in writing, as well as how factors outside the music industry can impact people’s professional plans. It starts with a strong focus on writing and blogging, but as things carry one we begin to speak in a far more general sense about the industry as a whole. It’s a hopeful, yet cautious conversation, and I’m glad we got it all on digital tape.
Our plan is to release a new podcast every week from here on out, and we already have another episode 90% complete. We hope you have as much fun listening to this show as much as we did making it. I know we’re not on the iTunes store just yet, but we will update you on that front soon. For now, let’s get to the show:
Thank you for joining us for another installment in our our ongoing Journalism Tips series. We started this column as a way to help aspiring writers get their start in music, but over the couple months we have been evolving into a place writers come to have their questions about life in the business answered. Today we are running a special editorial by our very own James Shotwell about the importance of collaboration. If you have any questions about developing as a writer/blogger in music, please do not hesitate email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. We can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
No man or woman is an island. You may believe you can do everything and be everywhere, but the hard truth is that there will eventually come a day when your best simply is not good enough. When those moments arise, and with the way the internet works today those times will likely come sooner than later, your best course of action is to seek out like-minded individuals with whom you can partner and collaborate. Maybe they join your site, maybe you join theirs, or maybe you both drop everything and start something brand new. Either way, there is strength in numbers, especially in the music industry.
So, what should you look for in your new counterpart? That’s a good question, and to be honest the true solution is likely different for every individual reading this article because every person has their own set of wants and needs when it comes to the people who could be their new collaborator. The simple answer, however, is that you want to find someone who compliments your established set of skills while still pushing you to do bigger and better things. You need to promote and support one another just as much as you challenge each other. This sounds a bit like I am describing a romantic relationship, but that is only because there is a shared sense of intimacy when two creative minds work together. Creativity comes from the deepest parts of who we are as people, and the ability to share that with another person in a space that is free of stern judgment is a rare gift.
I have been fortunate enough to know a number of people in my life I would consider great collaborators, but none have had the kind of motivational impact on me that followed my introduction to Mr. Jacob Tender. I believe I was on the cusp of twenty-four when I first stumbled across his writing, and at the time he was just beginning to plan what he would do after high school. He had a music blog though, and after my initial encounter time with his writing I knew there was something special about his work. I can still remember calling the other people who were helping me with my site at the time and telling them about the discovery I had made, as if he were some untapped talent that was just waiting for an opportunity to shine. Something inside told me I needed to know the person behind the words I had enjoyed reading, and within days of that first visit to his blog we were emailing back and forth about each other’s plans for the future. We shared a common love for music, that much was clear from the start, but as time went on we realized we shared a lot more than that as well. We were both inspired by similar things, both motivated to do more with our lives than anyone else we knew, and both willing to do whatever it took to make a name for ourselves in music despite the fact most people who knew our dreams thought they were crazy. It was as if I had found a brother I never knew I had, and before long he decided to leave his blog behind and join mine.
The next few years passed like a whirlwind. Jacob graduated high school and went on to enter college with a focus on music business while I graduated college and went on to enter the work force. We continued to refine our writing efforts and master the world of digital promotion, building the site from unknown music hub to internationally recognized entertainment outlet, and along the way we recruited a team of more than 30 contributors from around the globe. We covered music festivals, film festivals, music video shoots, studio sessions, and everything in between. Each move we made was made together, we discussed everything far in advance and worked collaboratively to position ourselves as well as we possibly could for growth and additional exposure. We also fought, but we never grew so upset with the other that one of us chose to walk away, though it’s likely we both thought about it from time to time. For me, however, it always seemed like we had come too far and were on the cusp of doing so many more great things that the minor disagreements were just that – minor. They came and went like rainy days, and our relationship always grew stronger as a result.
Earlier this year, Jacob expressed to me that he was ready to take the next step in his writing career and would be moving away from the site we had built in hopes of finding paid work within the music industry. I was heartbroken. Devastated, in fact, and if I am being completely honest there were a few days where I was downright furious about the whole thing. How could he just leave? We had spent all this time working together, and then he’s just done? Because of money? What the hell?
It was a good week before my brain came to the realization that Jacob was not moving on from me or our relationship, but that he was simply trying to grow as a person. He didn’t want to leave UTG because he was unhappy with me or unsatisfied with the work being done, but rather because he knew in order to chase his dreams further he had to find new opportunities that would be able offer financial support. I had been in that exact same place, and as a result knew exactly how he must have felt realizing that UTG could no longer be his home if he wanted to continue chasing the dream he had spent the last half decade working toward. I gathered all these thoughts and expressed them to Jacob. He understand, of course, because that’s just the kind of person he is. I lose my mind at the first sign of trouble while he contemplates approaching danger and formulates a plan for escape. We talked and talked for what felt like hours, and once it seemed like there was nothing left to say we began to plan his next move.
Fast forward to late March 2014 and I am in the midst of a lengthy phone interview with Jason McMahon, owner of Substream Magazine. We’re talking about the increasing embrace of digital media over physical when Jason mentions that he has a need for someone with the skills to help the company further their web presence. He doesn’t mention money at the time, but if I have learned anything about this industry over the last decade it’s that those who prove themselves capable handling a role that needs to be filled will find themselves making money in no time, so I finish our call and reach out to Jacob before another hour has passed. I tell him about the opportunity and suggest that he take a call with Jason to discuss his ideas for the company to see where things go. He agrees, we set up a call, and less than two weeks later he’s signing paperwork to become the magazine’s latest Editor of Digital Content.
Jacob and I still talk every day, but I will be the first to admit that we do not collaborate the way we did when we first met. That’s okay though, because the things we have experienced and learned together have motivated us to dream bigger and work harder than ever before, so that when our paths do cross there is much to discuss and even more to plan. I don’t know where either of us will end up in this life, but I know we will always have each other’s back, and that provides far more happiness than any sense of job security ever could.
The music industry is a fickle place, and as a result it’s easy for people to begin to feel like they are replaceable or otherwise useless in the grand scheme of things. Through collaboration with others we learn everyone is different and everyone has a role to play. Find people with abilities that compliment your own and work together to be a force for positive change in this business. Jobs may come and go, but relationships have the ability to last a lifetime. Never take that for granted.
For your average sixteen-year-old, the idea of getting a head start on their future career path sounds more like the suggestion of a fun-hating adult than a well-meaning piece of advice offered by someone with experience. Jacob Randall Tender is no average person however, and by the time when he was fighting for permission to drive without supervision he was already sinking his (baby) teeth into the music industry with early blogging efforts.
Fast forward to the present day. Tender, now a recent college graduate, has developed a reputation within the music industry that many of his peers are still striving to attain. Through his work with Under The Gun Review he has not only earned the respect of others in journalism, but has managed to elevate his voice (and that of his coworkers) to a level of influence that he never could have imagined sitting alone in his room all those years ago. Add to this his work developing young artists, as well as his publicity work through Bottle Cap Media, and you have the ingredients for one of the industry’s most promising young minds.
After you read our exclusive interview, make sure to let Jacob know what you thought of his answers by contacting him on Twitter. After that, take a moment to follow UTG and we guarantee you’ll never miss another headline.
H: For those unaware, please state your name, the site you work for, and your role at said site:
JT:My name is Jacob Tender and I’m an Editor and part owner of Under The Gun Review dot net. H: You have an interesting back story in blogging. How did you get your start in writing, and what motivated you to seek work in the music industry? JT: I suppose my first foray into the blogosphere was a WordPress.com account I started to vent frustration about whatever bugged me in the musical world I had begun to immerse myself in. I wrote a few opinion pieces, a review or two, then I started posting news. After about a year, I packed up shop and moved to UTG with another writer I had picked up along the way. Being from the Midwest with no Internet connection, save for my Blackberry, I put a lot of my time into music and writing strings of words about it. It felt like a natural fit and I’ve been doing it since. H: You’ve written for multiple sites in the past. What lead you to join Under The Gun Review? JT:I joined Under The Gun Review because it fit. I had been a reader of the site for some time. This made me familiar with some of the writers and the general tone of the webzine. I loved their voice and when asked to come aboard, I jumped in wholeheartedly because I felt that UTG was set apart from the rest. Less monotone, more snarky. The sass brought me in, the humor and friendliness of the team made me stay. H: Unlike a lot of music blogs, Under The Gun started covering one kind of music and later expanded to a wide variety of genres. What lead you to this change, and was it the same motivation that later lead you to include comedy and film in your efforts as well? JT: When I started with Under The Gun, the subject matter was very much in line with what was popular in the Warped Tour scene. While we still cover those types of musical acts quite heavily, there has been a vast increase in subject matter outside of those genres popular on the aforementioned tour. I think that this can be attributed to maturing tastes amongst the staff and new staff members brought into the fold. New blood brings new taste. New taste brings varied content. This is something I personally strive for when bringing on new writers. I love when I see a band written about for the first time on the site. It’s a new market for them and it’s an opportunity for us to reach a new audience. Our branching into film and comedy was even more natural. We obviously all love music, but we have a fire in our hearts for film and jokes as well. We wanted to expand our movie recommendations from our staff emails to a more public setting. Thus, we expanded. I think this varied coverage provides something a lot of our music blog competitors don’t. H: What do you feel Under The Gun Review offers readers that they cannot find on other sites? JT: Aside from the entertainment beyond music that can be found daily on the site, UTG offers a more personable, conversational, and occasionally controversial writing style. Rather than writing a sentence in summary of an embedded song stream, we prefer a long-form format. We like to give readers something to read that might inspire them to talk about the subject. Whether that be in the comment section of the article or with their friends at school or a bar, we’re just happy to have a platform to share our take on things with people who care too. H: A lot of people look to you and your site for new music. Where do you discover new artists? JT: As our readers look to us, we look to other publications. I personally have a daunting RSS aggregation that feeds tons of great new music into my MacBook every day from blogs big and small. I’m also big on recommendations and I’ve built relationships with people based on the music suggested to me. I love checking out new artists. SoundCloud and Shuffler.fm are also fantastic resources for finding emerging artists on the cusp of their discovery. H: When it comes to receiving music for review and feature consideration, which services do you prefer and why?
JT: That’s a great question. Firstly and most prominently, if it’s not watermarked in some way, you’re doing it wrong. In an age where an album can go from privately distributed to shared on a massive scale in a matter of hours, accountability is key. If one person is to blame for destroying a release campaign, they should take responsibility for it. Not using services like Haulix to do that for you is silly. I love Haulix for that reason and I assure anyone reading this that I wasn’t asked or bribed to say that. I’m crushed when an album leaks ahead of its release date, even more so when it’s a full month ahead of landing on shelves for sale. The technology is there, use it. H: If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be? JT: I wish for larger payouts for artists. Things are tough right now. We’re in a really strange phase in music sales and distribution. Leaks are more frequent and downloads are at all time highs. At the same time, vinyl sales are up like nobody imagined and BandCamp is making it easier for artists to sell their music digitally on their own terms. Spotify and Rdio are doing their part in decreasing downloads and even though it’s something, their payouts to artists are minuscule. If I could even hope for any sort of change, it’s that when things even out they do so in favor of the people who write the music we enjoy in the first place. This way my favorite artists can live more comfortably when getting home from tour (if they are able) to write more music instead of returning to part time, low wage jobs. Selling shirts is cool, selling music is cooler. H: You tweet a lot about having big plans for the future. Before we let you go, can you tell us a bit about what UTG has planned for the remainder of 2013? JT: UTG is always cooking. This year, our readers can expect plenty of new features, interviews, and articles from staff new and old. We’re upping our presence offline at festivals and concerts too, so if you see me or one of our staff, stop by and chat with us. We have the most friendly staff on the Internet, and possibly the most sarcastic.
